1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an XY stage device, and a semiconductor inspection apparatus and a semiconductor exposure apparatus including the XY stage device.
2. Description of Related Art
As a related-art XY stage device, for example, as described in Japanese Patent No. 3687362, there is known an XY stage device including an X-axis movable body (X-direction movable body) which moves in the X-axis direction on a platen, and a Y-axis movable body (Y-direction movable body) which moves in the Y-axis direction on the platen and guides the movement of the X-axis movable body in the X-axis direction. In such an XY stage device, both ends of the Y-axis movable body in the X-axis direction are respectively supported on the platen by a pair of rolling guides (rolling guide bearings) which guides the movement of the Y-axis movable body in the Y-axis direction.
Here, in the above XY stage device, as mentioned above, both ends of the Y-axis movable body in the X-axis direction are supported by the pair of rolling guides. Therefore, the yawing angle (hereinafter simply referred to as a “yawing angle”) which is the angle of the Y-axis movable body in a rotational direction around the Z-axis becomes apt to depend on the attachment precision of the rolling guide. Therefore, it is difficult to control the yawing angle of the Y-axis movable body as desired.
Additionally, when both ends of the Y-axis movable body in the X-axis direction are supported by the pair of rolling guides, the Y-axis movable body is completely constrained in the X-axis direction. Therefore, there is a possibility that strain, etc. may occur in the Y-axis movable body due to thermal stress originating from a temperature change. As a result, the running precision of the X-axis movable body guided by the Y-axis movable body will deteriorate.